


We Need a Little Christmas

by CharWright5



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha Kyoutani Kentarou, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Captain Yahaba Shigeru, Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Lights, Getting Together, Kyoutani Kentarou's Birthday, Kyoutani in an elf hat. Need I say more, M/M, Omega Yahaba Shigeru, Pre-Slash, Yahaba and Kyoutani are third years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:40:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21709867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharWright5/pseuds/CharWright5
Summary: When Shigeru hears that Kyoutani and his dad haven't decorated for Christmas in years, he takes it upon himself to bring a little Christmas cheer to the Alpha.Not because of a crush. No. Nothing like that.
Relationships: Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru
Comments: 3
Kudos: 323
Collections: Haikyuu!!





	We Need a Little Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> A dumb thing I wrote for Kyoutani's birthday that came to me while heading off Christmas shopping with my dad. There's no correlational there. Also the lights mentioned on this tree are totally lights we had at one point and I loved them. Also also I half-assed proofreading this so forgive any typos, I'm so tired...

Shigeru figured it was just the Omega in him, anxious over the sight and scent of an upset Alpha. He figured it was the captain in him, wanting to look out for his teammates, even the gigantic asshole ones. He figured it was the Christmas nut in him, determined to spread goodwill and cheer to all. It was nothing deeper than that, regardless of what anyone—namely Watari—thought or said.

Discussions over Christmas decorations had led to the revelation that... Kyoutani didn't have any. At all. Hadn't for years.

The Alpha spiker acted unbothered, shrugged it off, explained that his mom had died and his dad wasn't much of a dad and so things like Christmas fell by the wayside. They exchanged a couple gifts, ordered in food, watched _Die Hard_ , and that was it.

While he'd played the whole thing off and snarled at anyone who showed any hint of sympathy, Shigeru saw something deeper hidden in those honey eyes. The kind of guy who rescued puppies and kittens, who turned his shit around and dedicated himself to his team, who still kept in touch with Iwaizumi even as his _senpai_ went to Tokyo for university, he deserved more than greasy food and a movie that was debatable in its relevance to the holiday.

So Saturday morning, Shigeru was knocking on the door of the Kyoutani home, large box in his arms, because he was the captain and a stressed Omega and a Christmas fanatic. Nothing more.

The door practically flew open, revealing a rumpled and grumpy Kyoutani, who went wide eyed then glared at who he found standing there, lip curling back to sneer. "The hell you want?"

Shigeru rolled his eyes, unimpressed. He'd learned long ago that Mad Dog's bark was worse than his bite, that even an Omega such as himself had no trouble intimidating the Alpha, putting him in his place. So rather than backing down or rising to the bait, snarling or arguing right back, Shigeru shoved the sizable box against his teammate's chest. "Shut up and help me carry this shit in."

Kyoutani held the box away from himself, nose wrinkled as he glared down at it like he wasn't sure it didn't contain something that would suddenly burst out to attack him. "What's in this thing?" he asked, almost nervously, pulling the box closer to hold it in one arm so he could pull back one of the flaps and spy inside.

"You'll find out," Shigeru said, smacking his hand and pointing at him in warning. "Now take that to your room. I have more in the car."

Kyoutani cocked a dubious eyebrow but did as he was told, scuffing his way down the hall to presumably his bedroom. And Shigeru only watched him to make sure he was following through on orders, not because the Omega was staring at his ass as it moved under the gray sweats he wore or the flex of his muscles under a black tee so worn and faded it was practically dark gray. And when Kyoutani returned, Shigeru most definitely wasn't checking out the breadth of his shoulders and comparing it to the previous year or the size of his biceps or his crotch to see if there was any truth to the hype surrounding gray sweats.

Nope. Not at all.

Although, maybe the Internet was onto something with the—

Nope. Ignoring that.

Kyoutani returned with another put upon look and Shigeru was halfway tempted to make a comment over how he was more Grumpy Cat than Mad Dog, only to remember the Alpha hated the nickname. So instead, he just led the guy down to the station wagon he'd borrowed from his parents, popping open the back to reveal three more large boxes and a couple gift bags turned storage bags.

"Previous question still applies," Kyoutani stated with a confused frown. "What's in these things?"

"Previous _answer_ still applies," Shigeru quipped right back, shoving another box into Kyoutani's arms. "And same directions: in your room it all goes."

Honey eyes narrowed, Kyoutani's lip twitching like he wanted to argue, but instead he sighed, resigned. "Gimme another one."

A shrug, then Shigeru stacked a second box on top of the one the Alpha was holding. Kyoutani wiggled his fingers and Shigeru slipped the handles of the bags over them, leaving just the final box for himself. Bracing it on his hip, he closed the hatch door and locked the station wagon before following Kyoutani into his house.

"Pardon the intrusion!" he called out as he closed the door behind himself and toed off his sneakers, getting a snort.

"No one else is here," Kyoutani said snippily, heading straight for his room. It was then that Shigeru noticed he was barefoot, had gone outside without even socks on. His feet had to be icy after walking over the freezing sidewalk.

But if they were, Kyoutani didn't show it, moving with the same ease he always did, movements graceful, powerful, feral all at the same time. Shigeru found himself staring, as he too often did during practices, entranced by the play of muscles and the fluid lines of the Alpha.

Who was disappearing through a side doorway.

Shit.

Shigeru mentally slapped himself, shook his head to shake himself out of it. Dumb. Stupid. Idiotic.

In a rush, he took note of well-worn slippers, two blue pairs, a pink set that looked untouched, gray ones presumably for guests. Shigeru slipped his feet into them then hustled after Kyoutani, finding him in a room off the kitchen.

His bedroom.

Which... Shigeru needed to get over that fact. After all, this was _his_ idea so obviously he'd have to go in there. And he wasn't some prude Omega who thought entering an Alpha's bedroom was an Absolute No Go or a hussy who thought it meant they'd do anything. The two of them were _just_ teammates, _just_ a very loose version of friends. No expectations, nothing about to happen.

So he got the fuck over it and stepped inside.

Shigeru had expected a room as chaotic as the guy's playing style, but once again, his assumptions about Kyoutani were proven false. The space was almost barren, plain white walls, mismatched furniture, school books neatly stacked on a scratched up desk. The only thing out of order was the duffel bag to the side with freshly laundered practice clothes stacked on top rather than held inside and the unmade bed, comforter balled up by the foot of it. Shigeru thought of his own bed in his own room and how his mother would shriek like a banshee if he so much had a pillow slightly askew.

The room itself smelled strongly of Kyoutani, of something ironically close to warm gingerbread, and it made Shigeru feel warm and gooey from the inside out. He had to bite back a purr as he inhaled it, the scent caught in his lungs and in his mind, touching the Omega part of him that became relaxed and secure at the smell of an Alpha.

Nothing to do with Kyoutani himself, Shigeru mentally reasoned. Just... instincts or something.

Kyoutani himself was standing by his unmade twin bed, boxes and bags spread across it, his hands on his hips as he stared Shigeru down with narrow eyed assessment. Shigeru felt stripped bare, like Kyoutani was digging at him to find something he wanted to keep buried, and he fought to keep his shaky knees straight as he carried over his own box and deposited it by the others.

And stood beside Kyoutani.

Who said nothing.

Just stared.

Shigeru began to feel hot under the collar, under the weight of those intense eyes, and he unzipped his hoodie to find some relief, the chill of the room invading immediately.

Kyoutani stared another moment longer before turning his attention to their haul, tipping a box back to inspect the side of it, searching for a clue. " _Now_ can you tell me what's inside? Especially since that one _jingles_." Box upright once more, he reached over and shook one of the bags, shook the bells inside and making it jingle, just as he'd commented.

Shigeru smirked then reached inside that very bag, pulling out the jingler: a green and red elf hat with bells all around the zig zag rim and off the end of the dangling main part. Grin growing, he plopped it right onto Kyoutani's head, adjusting it so it sat firmly on there. Kyoutani glared, sneered, shot daggers at Shigeru with his eyes, but the Omega just ignored him, pulling out a fuzzy Santa hat and putting it on his own head.

"Why are _you_ Santa and _I'm_ a damn elf?" Kyoutani grumbled, crossing his arms but making no move to get rid of the offending headwear.

"Because I am bringing you Christmas cheer," Shigeru began, opening one of the boxes. The green garland that had been shoved inside popped out as the pressure keeping it all contained was released. "And you are gonna be my holiday helper."

Another confused sneer, Kyoutani eying the boxes warily as Shigeru opened another to reveal strings of lights. "Christmas decorations? Really?"

The Alpha's tone was one Shigeru couldn't quite figure out and it had his heart pounding and stomach twisting in nerves. He honestly hadn't given any thought to what he'd do if Kyoutani genuinely didn't want any Christmas decorations, if he was told to pack it all up, leave, and never come back. He'd been so blinded by his self-appointed position as Spreader of Christmas Cheer that he didn't realize not everyone was into it. Just because he'd said his dad didn't bother didn't mean Kyoutani was upset.

Although...

He _had_ seemed kinda upset about it, underneath the posturing and resignation and false bravado. Shigeru was pretty sure he hadn't imagined the sadness and longing in his eyes, the same dullness that had been fixed in those honey orbs when they'd had to turn those lost animals in to the shelter rather than keep them. Shigeru remembered wanting to keep the puppy so Kyoutani could come visit and not look so sullen, but he knew his mom would flip out over it so he'd been unable to.

He thought of that day far too often, especially recently, how he'd seen a whole new side to the one his _senpai_ had dubbed Mad Dog, a more human side.

If he really thought about it, if he _allowed_ himself to think about it, then he knew that was when his annoying crush on the asshole had really begun, feelings beyond " _oh no, he's hot_ " taking root in his mind and his heart.

And now, here he was, in the room of an Alpha he was reluctant to admit he liked, much less _like_ -liked, because he thought maybe the guy was bummed out over a lack of Christmas decorations.

Fuck, he felt dumb.

"Yeah. Well," Shigeru began, defensive, then promptly lost steam. He started wringing the back of his neck then forced himself to stop, clenching his fists by his sides instead. "The other day, when we were talking about it, I got the feeling that maybe you were missing out on them and were maybe even a little sad about it?" He turned it into a question at the end, more to cover his ass than anything. Put the blame on himself and maybe a misinterpretation of things, rather than pissing off a feisty Alpha by implying he could even feel something like sadness.

Something flashed in Kyoutani's eyes and he quickly turned his head away and down, bells jingling ridiculously in counterpoint to the way that sadness seemed to reappear in his eyes, the way he was gritting his jaw like he was holding something back. But his fingers were stroking over the garland in a way that could be interpreted as longing if it were anyone else and Shigeru flashed back to when they'd rescued that puppy and that kitten, the way the Alpha had so badly wanted to keep the animals for himself that he'd scared off a bunch of teenage girls for it, even though holding onto the furry ones wasn't a possibility.

There was more to the Alpha than just being a Mad Dog. Shigeru had learned that back on that day, was being reminded of it now.

"I do," Kyoutani murmured, barely audible before sniffling and scowling and shrugging it off. "I never said anything because I figured it'd upset my dad and he." He paused, winced, shrugged again as he scrubbed at the back of his neck. "He, uh. He already has it rough at times, doesn't cope all that well. I didn't wanna make it worse."

Shigeru's chest clench and he fought the urge to reach out to take Kyoutani's hand, to rub his back, to squeeze his shoulder. He did, however, nudge the guy with his elbow and gave him a small sympathetic smile when he lifted his head. "Then we'll decorate your room, give you some Christmas back."

A soft smile of his own former on Kyoutani's face, a sparkle in his eyes that had Shigeru's chest clenching for a whole new reason. "Thanks," he said lowly and Shigeru could only nod dumbly.

Was it suddenly hot in the room? Because Shigeru's face felt oddly hot.

Turning away, he cleared his throat and awkwardly scratched at his jaw. "Yeah, so I figured we could wrap lights around the garland and drape it around, ya know? And I also got this." Opening the third and final box, one longer than was tall, Shigeru pulled out a tree that was barely a meter tall. The wire branches were crushed down from being packed for so long but he knew once they were opened and fluffed, it would look pretty damn good sitting on the Alpha's desk.

Said Alpha seemed to agree, smile turning into a full-on grin. "Sounds good. Where do we start?"

"I'll work on fluffing the tree, while you," Shigeru began, putting said tree back in its box then pulling out a tangle of lights from the other. "Get to work on unraveling this mess."

The grin immediately dropped into a trademark scowl, Kyoutani grumbling under his breath. Yet he still took the bundle from Shigeru and plopped down onto the bed to start working on it. "Where'd you get all this crap anyway?"

Shigeru shrugged, smiling wide in victory as he grabbed the two wood blocks that would cross to form the base for the tree. "It's extra stuff we had stored away in the attic. My parents switched to white lights when I was in junior high but they kept these."

Kyoutani wrinkled his nose as he untangled the mess. "Colored lights are better."

Base set up and mini tree skirt over it, Shigeru assessed the Alpha, looked him up and down. "They suit you," he said without thinking, Kyoutani's head snapping up to him. "They're multi-faceted, never the same, a lot like how you have a bunch of different sides and colors and shine bright in the court."

Kyoutani went redder than the shade on his hat, flustered, and Shigeru's heart pounded as he smiled, stomach fluttering and twisting. "Shut up," was all the Alpha grumbled, ducking his jingling head to go back to his task. Shigeru just laughed.

When the tree was set up and fluffed, Shigeru shifted his focus to the garland, given it the same treatment, unbending the hidden wire and helping the plastic "needles" stand up right. When he finished his first length, Kyoutani had finished the first string of lights, plugging them to check them.

Every bulb illuminated, throwing colors onto Kyoutani's tan skin. Blue, green, magenta, yellow, reflecting back in honey eyes, off white teeth as the Alpha grinned.

Shigeru was pretty sure he wasn't breathing.

"They look good," Kyoutani commented.

"Yeah," Shigeru exhaled, unsure what he was referring to.

Kyoutani lifted his head and they locked eyes. The Alpha's blush was still visible through the multi-colored bulbs shining off him. The Omega's face felt on fire and he was sure he looked similarly.

Awkwardness dropped over them, heavy, thick, making it hard for Shigeru to breathe. He tried to clear the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, forcing his head away to break eye contact, forcing himself to act...

Act what?

Act normal?

None of this was normal. He'd never been to Kyoutani's house, much less his room. He'd never decorated with anyone other than his parents. He'd never really experienced a crush of this magnitude and he was so painfully aware of it at that moment that it was difficult to think of anything else.

Goddammit, how did he use to act around the bastard? Lotta yelling, right? Arguing, too. That time he slammed the Alpha against the gym wall at the prefecture tournament and...

Yep! Not gonna continue that train of thought. He spent far too much time recalling that moment during more... intimate moments. He didn't need a Pavlovian boner popping up—literally—to make things even _more_ awkward.

Yikes!

Kyoutani cleared his throat and sniffed loudly, unplugging the lights then holding the weight of them out to Shigeru. “Do you wanna—?”

“Yeah!” Shigeru answered a little too loudly, turning down an invisible volume knob. “Yeah, thanks.” He took the lights from Kyoutani without touching his hand, refusing to be that cliché where their fingers graze and sparks tingle and their blushes deepen before they slowly lean in closer and...

Nope!

Silence descended them once more, this time awkward and strange. Any one on one time he'd had with Kyoutani had been accompanied by yelling and arguing, by volleyballs bouncing and smacking, by the drone of cars passing by or the bus engine beneath them as they traveled. It was never this cutting silence only broken by the hum of the heating system or an occasional sniff, throat clear, or sigh, a random jingle as Kyoutani moved his head. More than once, Shigeru thought he heard Kyoutani's lips smack open as if to say something, but nothing would ever come—beyond a few mutters at the tangled lights.

Yet despite the silence and the weirdness hanging over them, they worked perfectly together, on-court synchronicity transferring off-court. Kyoutani would untangle a set of lights as Shigeru wrapped the previous set around a length of garland. Then the lights would be plugged in and checked, sometimes searching for the one bulb that broke the circuit and prevented them all from lighting, as Shigeru worked on the next piece of garland, straightening out the wire and fluffing it out.

Time passed, and soon all the garland was wrapped and Shigeru was draping it about the room: across the top of the window, over the headboard, across the desk, over the bookshelf. Extension cords allowed him to hook them all together and reach the outlet, as well as not take over every single open outlet. Kyoutani still needed to plug things in—although at this point, the Omega was pretty sure they'd rendered the lamp unnecessary.

It was as he was fussing over the way the garland draped over the bookshelf that music started playing out of nowhere, electronic pings and dings to the tune of _Jingle Bells_. Startled, Shigeru snapped his head around to find Kyoutani crouched by his desk, in front of the tree, now glowing with multi-colored lights on its own.

Lights that were flashing to the tune of the song that Shigeru knew was playing from the small box hidden behind and under it.

Kyoutani himself was wide-eyed, a startled animal, reminding Shigeru of the chipmunks and squirrels he'd see in his backyard that would freeze all over at the slightest hint of anything remotely predatory. Not a Mad Dog, but a cute fluffy rodent.

It made the corners of Shigeru's lips curl up and he had to bite back any comments over how cute the guy was. He had a feeling it wouldn't be all that appreciated.

Not that Shigeru would actually speak the thought even if he thought Kyoutani wouldn't chew his head off—literally or figuratively—or at the very least glare him into ashes as he snarled over how he _wasn't_ cute.

Which... was kinda cute as well.

“Sorry,” he actually said though. “Should've warned you that they play music. You can actually hit the button on them to lower the volume until it's silent, but then you'd still have to deal with the flashing.”

Kyoutani said nothing, just stared, colors blinking on his face and his wide eyes. The Alpha had apparently been stunned into a coma like state.

With a sigh, Shigeru stepped over, reached for the control box...and promptly had his wrist snatched. His head snapped to Kyoutani, who was now looking up at him with pleading eyes, his brow pulled up rather than down.

“I like it,” he mumbled, reluctant to admit it, then promptly plopped down on his ass, tugging Shigeru over.

Shigeru rolled his eyes but made no move to unhook the hold Kyoutani had on his wrist, instead moving so he was sitting next to him, knees drawn up and arms dangling over them. The song changed after a few seconds, playing just long enough to go through the popular chorus, now flashing and chiming out _Away In a Manger_. Kyoutani's thumb began rubbing against Shigeru's pulse point, making him shiver at the almost absent-minded contact over his wrist, and he slid his eyes over to find a soft smile on Kyoutani's face. His gingerbread scent grew stronger, warmer, like cookies fresh from the oven, as a wave of contentment washed over them both.

Somehow they managed to scoot back so they were propped up by the bed, legs stretched out before them. Kyoutani's hand slid down to actually entwine his fingers with Shigeru's, the grip gentle yet firm, his skin rough and calloused from volleyball. It made the Omega's heart pound, skin tingling in anticipation, and he realized he was right in his earlier belief that any contact between them would be joined by sparks dancing over him.

Couldn't say he hated it though.

Which... was probably problematic.

For the moment, he let himself enjoy it, enjoy the feeling of Kyoutani's big warm hand wrapped around his and his broad shoulders knocking into him and his soothing rhythmic rubbing. He enjoy the scent of happy Alpha and the warmth of the room and the sound of familiar carols chiming as the lights blinked.

And Kyoutani seemed to do the same, even mouthing the words to some of them, thrown for half a second when they switched then immediately picking up on the new song. Until...

“The hell is this one?”

Shigeru frowned at him. “ _God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen_.” The glower on Kyoutani's face deepened, meaning he didn't recognize the name, and Shigeru sighed before singing the words to the tune of the carol. “ _God rest ye merry gentlemen, may nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our savior was born on Christmas Day, to save us all from Satan's power when we--_ ”

“There's a Christmas song about saving us from Oikawa?”

A snort came from Shigeru as Kyoutani went wide-eyed, apparently having not meant to say that out loud.

“Sorry. I know you worship him or whatever.”

Shigeru frowned once again. “I don't _worship_ him. I respect and admire him, that's all. Besides, it's nothing compared to your man-crush on Iwaizumi-san.”

Now Kyoutani was sputtering, bright red. “I do _not_ have a crush on Iwaizumi.”

“Oh please!”

“How can I when I have a crush on—” He shut his mouth with an audible clack and Shigeru froze all over.

Except for his heart, which began to beat more rapid than ever.

Except for his stomach, which filled with cranes rather than butterflies.

Except for his mind,which raced with a thousand thoughts all at once, each one too fast to catch and figure out what it was.

“A crush on who?” he found himself asking quietly.

Kyoutani snapped his head away with a jingle that didn't match the intensity of his expression, muscle in his jaw tensing as he clenched it. The colored lights around the room played off his skin, reflected off his eyes, the blinking ones on the tree flashing to the tune of _Silent Night_.

“ _Kentarou_ ,” Shigeru prompted gently, watching as the Alpha's adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed hard. “Crush on who?”

He didn't get an answer. Not out loud. Instead, Kyoutani jerked his head back towards him, leaned forward, and kissed him.

It was softer than anything Shigeru imagined would be between them—on the occasion he actually allowed himself to indulge in imagining such a thing, of course—a light brushing of chapped lips against his. And when Kyoutani made to pull away, Shigeru followed, pressed them back together, responded to the unspoken admittance in kind.

When they finally did part, Kyoutani rested his forehead on the Omega's, that soft smile back on his face. “Yahaba?” he began and Shigeru gave a hum to show he was listening. “Thanks for the best birthday I've had in years.”

Shigeru reared back then smacked the dumbass Alpha in the chest with his free hand. “You stupid asshole! You should've told me! I didn't even get you a gift!”

“How am _I_ the dumbass when you clearly can't see you already got me one?!” Kyoutani roared back, arms spread to gesture at the room as a whole, the lights and the garland strewn about. “This is gift enough!”

Shigeru opened his mouth to argue, but Kyoutani beat him to it, bringing their lips together once more. The Omega scowled at being cut off like that, at the pushy Alpha shutting him up. But then he melted into the kiss, into the moment, and decided that it's totally fine if Kyoutani wanted to do this.

Only this once though. Only because it was his birthday.

Come tomorrow, Shigeru was gonna promptly put him back in his place.


End file.
